The lecture, “Inflammation: Friend or Foe,” will be presented by Mary Marian, DCN, RDN, CSO, FAND, director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics and assistant professor of practice in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Arizona. She also is a faculty member with the UA Center for Integrative Medicine and the nutritionist/dietitian for Arizona Oncology Associates.

Dr. Marian will discuss the role of lifestyle and nutrition to combat inflammation and reduce the risks for developing disease or for managing current chronic diseases.

Inflammation, a vital part of the body’s immune response, also is the body’s attempt to heal itself after injury, a defense against viruses and bacteria and to repair damaged tissue. However, inflammation also plays a role in some chronic diseases. Acute inflammation arises after a cut or a scrape in the skin, a sprained ankle, a sore throat or other conditions causing tissue damage and is short term. Chronic inflammation is long-term and occurs in wear-and-tear conditions, including osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases (such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis), allergies and asthma.

Dr. Marian is widely published and has given numerous presentations nationally and internationally. She has served on numerous committees for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN). She has been the chair for Dietitians in Nutrition Support and served on the board of directors for ASPEN. Dr. Marian is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Excellence in Clinical Practice from the American Dietetics Association. In 2014 she received the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Medallion Award. She also is associate editor for Nutrition in Clinical Practice, the journal published by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and has served as lead editor for several books, including “Integrating Therapeutic and Complementary Nutrition.”

The lecture is part of a series of free talks hosted by the Yuma Friends of the University of Arizona Health Sciences. The next talk will be held in February and will feature C. Kent Kwoh, MD, director of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center; The Charles A.L. and Suzanne M. Stephens Endowed Chair in Rheumatology; chief of the Division of Rheumatology and professor of medicine and medical imaging at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson.

About the Yuma Friends of the UA Health Sciences

The Yuma Friends of the University of Arizona Health Sciences’ mission is to assist the Yuma community and increase students’ access to the health professions. The group seeks to improve students’ awareness and knowledge about health-related careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and other health sciences programs at the University of Arizona.

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn)